Jan 28, 2025 Story by: Editor
On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump rescinded Executive Order 14019, signed by former President Joe Biden in 2021 to promote voting access and expand voter registration efforts.
Biden’s order, issued in March 2021, sought to improve access to voting and provide accurate election information. It enabled federal agencies to assist states in creating automatic voter registration systems and allocated federal resources to support polling locations.
Since its inception, the order faced significant opposition from Republican officials in states such as Missouri, Kansas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas. They argued that it constituted federal overreach and undermined state authority.
Despite Republican efforts to nullify the order during Biden’s presidency, their challenges were largely unsuccessful. Courts often rejected these claims, with ongoing litigation in several cases. For instance, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston argued that the order violated state sovereignty and encroached on Congress’ authority to regulate federal elections. However, in October, a judge dismissed their case, citing insufficient evidence of harm caused by the executive order.
In Pennsylvania, plaintiffs escalated their challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court, invoking the independent state legislature theory, which asserts that only state legislatures should regulate federal elections. However, the justices declined to take up the case.
By August, nine Republican-led states had joined a lawsuit against the order. Following Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election, the plaintiffs requested a pause in their case, anticipating that Trump would overturn the order upon taking office. On Nov. 15, they formally asked the court to delay proceedings until February or until Trump rescinded the order—a prediction that proved accurate.
Under the U.S. In The Constitution, presidents have the authority to revoke executive orders from prior administrations. On Monday, Trump invalidated dozens of Biden-era directives, stating, “The previous administration has embedded deeply unpopular, inflationary, illegal, and radical practices within every agency and office of the Federal Government.” Source: Democracy Docket
